Self and h



G. R. LUCAS.

Carriage Top.

Patented Jan. 5, 1869.

VII/11147111111111 M'Jwagsei NJ'EI'ERS. PHOTU-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON,D 04 GEORGE'R. LUCAS, or MAN-NSVILLE, NEW YORK, AssIGNoR TO HIM- SELFAND H. W. SHEPARD, or SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 85,680, dated Ian/awry 5, 1869.

- MPRQVEMENT m SEETING- CARRIAGE-TOP.

' The Schedule referred in these Letters Patent. making part of thelime.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, GEORGE E. LUCAS, ofManusville, county of J efierson, and State of New York, haveinvented'certain new and useful Improvements in Shiiting Carriage-Tops;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being bad tothe accompanying drawing,and the letters of reference marked thereon, making part of thisspecification, in which-- r Figure 1 is a front elevation of theshifting top. Figure 2 -is a section of the top seat on the line H, E 1.

Figure 3 is a top view of the carriage-seat flame.- Figure 4 is a sideview of the arms of the to Figure 5 is asectionai' view on the line yy,fig. 3. In shifting-top carriages as-lieretofore constructed,

great inconvenience hasbeen felt on account of the irons or rails,

which of necessity remain attached to the seat afterthe top has beenremoved, these irons or rails being always in the way.

By my invention, I do away with all these, and when the top is taken011' you have an open carriage, as free as if it had originally beenconstructed without a top,

whileat the same time any top-carriage now in use can, with very littleexpense, be easily converted into an open one.

- My invention also enables any one to change, in a much shorter time, atop-carriage into an open one, without the use of any tools whatever,and the same cushions which are now used with the top-carriage can beused with the open one.

The top which I attach to the carriage is much stronger and more durablethan any one now in use, and, byits peculiar construction, prevents allnoise, wear,

account of its simplicity of construction it is very difficult to getout of order.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will'now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

or rattle of the same while. in motion, and on- A is the frame of thecarriage-seat, which is con structed with an openrectangular centre,into which fits the bottom of the shifting .top.

B is the bottom or seat of the shifting top, to which:

are securely attached all the rods necessary for support ing thecovering of the top. j on the under side of the seat B, I atttach twobuttons or catches, O O, by means of a-pin, 0, provided atone end with ahead and at the other with screwthreads and a nut.

These buttons project a suflicient distance beyond the front and back ofthe seat B, to enable it to be securely fastened to the bottom of theseat-frame of the carriage The operation is as follows:

To takeofi the top,.turn the buttons or catches O 0 until their ends donot'project beyond the front or back of the seat B, and raise thetop'from the seati'rame A, and you have a no-top carriage.

, To replace the top, you have simply to turn the but tens or catches O'0 until they are parallel with the sides of the frame-seat B, and thetop is securely fast ened on.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim therein as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

A shifting carriage-top, when the base, B, of the same is flush with theframe of the carriage-seat when inserted, and isfirmly held in positionby means of the buttons 6 G on its under side, each of the same having adouble bearing, substantially as described, as-

and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. R. LUCAS. [11. s.] Witnesses:

N. G. BAKER, WM. M. WABDW'ELL.

